So, i ride an SX Trail as my 'do it all mountain cross trail long distance play epic' bike, and wanted to sort a DH bike out for the occasional trip to somewhere with uplifts. It's been a while since i researched this topic, and wanted to canvass opinion from the STW massive.

Bike needs to…
be pretty strong (i'm a fatty)
have at least 8" travel (to be any different from my SX)
Be active , so it has similar feel to my SX.

I'll be doing…
occasional uplifts (France, Scotland, Canada)
fast and wild rocky trails, but not too many big jumps (i'm a old man)
Some 'walk-up' trails sessioning (Wales, North Downs mainly)

I also want it to be fairly simple to set up, i can deal with a bike which wont win a DH world cup… because nor will i.

So, whaddaya reckon? i was tempted by a Demo8, because it's close to what i know already, or maybe some kind of VP bike (as i like active travel).

Thanks for any opinions…
lardman.

Budget?

If its for occasional use then a demo will be easiest to sell with Sam and Brendan riding them, when you inevitably sell it as "used once or twice by an old bloke who should have known better" on ebay.

:p

why not just use the SX? I doubt its the bike that is holding you back….

yeah I'd keep the sx trail. No need for a bigger bike than that in the UK, you'd see *some* benefit in france, but it'd probably be wiped out by riding 2 different bikes

there's nothing in the north downs that needs any sort of dh bike at all.

I'm considering selling my Intense M3 as a rolling chassis if that's of interest? 9" rear wheel travel VPP stylee, pushed DHX coil, 2009 boxxers, bar, stem, seatpost, plus hope hubs on 721s. All for around £875

Let me know if you're interested – it's lived on the North Downs and done the sorts of trips you mention so it will tick those boxes for you.

Well you don't NEED a DH bike for a lot of the stuff, but it can be much more fun on one.

My Sunday is a very different beast to my Patriot and if I dont have to pedal up hill I enjoy riding it more.

So I would say go for it.

Bazzer

well…
It comes from my trip last week to Nevis, and the extra speed i would like to get over the bigger rocks. It's not that i cant do it on the SX, it's just that it will probably break pretty quick, and i need all the cushioning i can get so i'm less likely to stack.

Budget? cos i'm older, and richer.. is not a big consideration.

My last trip to France was great on the SX, and i could keep up on the twisty trails, but some of the big stuff would have been easier on a bigger bike.

It's definitely my age, and ability holding me back, and not the bike. I would never make that claim. I would mostly ride my SX everywhere anyway, it's just there's a hole in my 'quiver' on the 8"+ travel end.

LCJ

that sounds very tempting..
Pictures, and size?
I ride a medium SX, but have short legs.. so how's the standover on your M3?

I would get some big(er) forks and some deemax rimsand maybe a different shock and still use the SX as that will be plenty for most of the UK stuff. What gen SX is it and how is it built up?

It's a medium, in red (as Intenses should be).

I'm 5'11" and there is loads of standover height – I could probably get away with a large. It's also quite short compared to more modern DH bikes which might help with shorter legs.

I'll sort out some pictures this evening but if you want to drop me an email to gwalliss AT hotmail DOT com I'll send over a full spec.

Cheers

in true STW fashion, im going to ignore what you have asked and tell you something totally different.

why dont you get a smaller, lighter, hardtail for the majority of your….'do it all mountain cross trail long distance play epic' bike and keep the SX trail for uplifts and body armoured riding.

If you can afford it and want it, then get one.
If you want something simple how about an Orange 224, although the Demos do look very nice.

Depending on the build, I think you'd break an intense before an SX trail…

How do you have it built up?

As someone that used to own a prophet and a DH bike, I don't think it's worth having two bikes so close in use, even although both got regular use (and a prophet's further from a DH bike than an SX trail). I still have the DH bike, but the prophet is now a trance built up light… much better. Only times I miss the prophet on XC rides etc. are proper big mountain rides (up munros etc.). And I don't get to do them often enough it's a real issue. And when I do, it's not like I can't ride them on the trance.

Budget? cos i'm older, and richer.. is not a big consideration.

Spend your money however you want to (assuming you can actually afford it…)

Go down to Freeborn in Horsham.

Get a Mythic Legend Mk2. Add Boxxer Teams, Deemax, Full Saint and Pro finishing kit. Add a lot of heli tape and some Drift fork armour.

Get them to say the price very quick.

Spend hours drooling over it and rag the sh!t out of it!

Actually, maybe not Deemax, they are very yellow. Get some wheels built up for you in a nice colour!

I agree with IA I would will at some point swap the Patriot for a 5 when funds allow. As I don't need a do it all bike anymore, which was the whole point of the Patriot.

Bazzer

I had an 07 sx trail with 36's up front and dhx 5 out back, used purely as a dh,jumpy fr/playbike kind of machine, i'm nearly 15st kitted up and hammered it regularly and never found it wanting.
You can get slacker shock mounts for abroad if need be, had a mate with the slacker mounts and totems which made it even more dh orientated.
Unless your racing i can't see you'd need a dh bike on top of a perfectly capable sx. If you simply just want one then the current crop of dh frames leave you spoilt for choice. Transition tr450,mondraker,new glory,intense 951,224 evo. Oh and if your going for a brand new demo then i'd wait for the 2011 model which will be an improvement over the current one now that hill and fairclough have been on board for a season or so.

Second hand VP Free if you can find one. Great bikes for UK downhill fun.

I'll be listing my Turner Highline this week?

It's currently running at 180mm travel, so you need a different shock for 8" mode.

if you are buying new, def go for the demo 8 – no other company will warranty DH bikes as long as Specialized.

no other company will warranty DH bikes as long as Specialized.

indeed. mate of mine just cracked his ten year old S-Works FSR (palmer one) while he was out in whistler.

spesh provided him with a brand new demo 7 within a week and a half.

well..
my SX is a first Gen one (2005).
So around 6" on the rear, with Z1 freerides up front, and 5Th Element on the back.
Its built up tough but not heavy. Hone cranks, Bulb hubs on (721 i think) azonic bars, stem. Minion tubeless dual ply's.
Gone through 1 set of chainstays, but that's all so far – which is a miracle considering the multitude of frames i have eaten up before this.

I'm nearly 18st, but i do know how to ride OK (and more recently, within my limits), so i haven't bent a wheel in years.

Maybe i should just look at a longer fork on the SX.

It's a toy thing really i guess….
so, next years Spesh Demo… hmmmmm – Or second hand VP free.

you might find some longer forks make more of a difference than a new frame. They'd slacken it up some, making it better at the steep stuff and make the whole thing feel more decendy. if you don't like how it feels, take the forks, put them onto whatever dh frame you were going to get anyway

Get some 36s up front, and convert the rear to poor-mans bolt through – 135×12 hub (If you have a Bulb, you can do it already) plus Azonic Momentum Rear Axle ( http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?PartnerID=79&ModelID=20271 ). Nice 'n ' stiff.

Having said that, riding a different bike is great fun…. how about a 224? or 951?

Lardman….. go for the new DH bike…….. you will NOT regret it.

2 years ago at the Mega I took my DH (Azonic Recoil – 8") & my "freeride" (Ram AM 6")……. rode the Ram once and went straight back to the DH. Same in Chamonix last year even if it can be a pain getting around some of the switchbacks with triple clamps.

I have no preference or frame of reference for the latest crop of DH bikes but i'd go for the Spesh as you'd get peace of mind with your size/any warranty issues……. and then get it tuned to your weight/riding style….. and the sales should be on soon – if there's any left?

Ps. I no longer race DH but i will never be without a DH bike…. and as for the peeps who say you wont need 8" ………. 🙄

5lab – Member
you might find some longer forks make more of a difference than a new frame. They'd slacken it up some, making it better at the steep stuff and make the whole thing feel more decendy. if you don't like how it feels, take the forks, put them onto whatever dh frame you were going to get anyway

that's shite!!
DH bikes are not simply slacker, they are generally lower and longer than the like of an SX too and *should have* far better performing shock/forks.

Money no object?

The Mondraker Summum looks amazing and having lifted one up I'd say the 36lb quoted weight was spot-on.

Morewood Makulu looks very nice too, and possibly more solid if you're a bit weighty.

If money was no object I'd treat the SX to a new fork and pick up a DH bike in the sales as well. I'm sure I've seen the Summum going cheap already.

if it were me i think i'd just keep the SX trail. Theres some big fast trails in the alps, but equally, theres some fantastic technical rocky steep slow ones, with tight switchbacks that would be a nightmare on a full on DH bike, especially with twin crown forks.

yeah, for the Alps… i'd take both anyway. At TrailAddiction a couple of years back, there were some switchbacks that were super tight even on the single crowns.

xiphon – thanks for that tip on the axle.. i might have a look at one o' them. Cant be doing an Orange anything… don't like single pivots really.

Maybe just a new front and rear shock set-up would be a boost enough.
Which opens a whole new can'o'worms.

Forks with 7", and single crown? (and maintenance is not my thing, so likely not fox anything)

Rear shock? DHX-5 or CCDB.

Oh, the choices…..